=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2834/Paper50.pdf
|storemode=property
|title=Information Technology for Distance Education
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2834/Paper50.pdf
|volume=Vol-2834
|authors=Tatiana M. Tatarnikova,Viktoria A. Miklush,Ekaterina V. Kraeva
}}
==Information Technology for Distance Education==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2834/Paper50.pdf
539
Information Technology for Distance Education*
Tatiana M. Tatarnikova 1 [0000-0002-6419-0072], Viktoria A. Miklush 1 [0000-0002-6419-0072]
and Ekaterina V. Kraeva 1
1 Russian State Hydrometeorological University, 79, Voronelsraya st., 192007 St. Petersburg,
Russia
tm-tatarn@yandex.ru
miklush-v@yandex.ru
kate.smitt.by@mail.ru
Abstract. The positive and negative aspects of information technologies used to
implement distance education in universities are discussed: case technologies,
television-satellite technology, and network technology. The information tech-
nologies involved in the organization of distance learning are compared. It also
describes the services for organizing online training in terms of both functionality
and capabilities for conducting online lectures, practical exercises, and laboratory
work.
Keywords: Distance Educational Technologies, Case Technologies, Online
Training, Online Learning Services.
1 Introduction
Now, in response to social advancement, science, and information technology, a situa-
tion has arisen regarding the prospects for the development of distance learning and its
place as a system in the educational system [1]. Modern information technology allows
you to conduct the learning process remotely. An important advantage of distance ed-
ucation is that keeping up to date; it uses several information technologies to conduct
training or retraining, which allow for training via the Internet. Technologies widely
used in distance learning can be divided into three types.
The first type is the case technology – a technology based on the acquisition of sets
(cases) of teaching materials (on paper and CDs) and sending them to students for self-
study. Choosing this type will require teaching aids (both in paper and in electronic
form), which should be available throughout the course, and which should contain the
necessary theoretical information and practical tasks. Tasks that students will perform.
For the implementation of case technology in distance learning, and the successful com-
pletion of tasks by students, it is also necessary to accompany a tutor - a curator who
supports all possible types of communication with students. This means that the student
* Copyright 2021 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
540
can at any time contact his tutor to consult on a particular issue. When required, the
tutor can personally meet with students
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION
Satellite television Networking
Case technology
technology technology
Fig. 1. Types of information technology in distance education
However, the realization of case technology (training) - a technology based on the
application of situational-training teaching methods will contribute to better learning
by students and greater involvement in the material.
Relatively recently, the active use of case technology (training) in education has be-
gun, and now this approach has become a popular learning technology. Advantages of
the case method:
Practical orientation. The case method allows you to apply theoretical knowledge to
solving practical problems. This approach provides a broader view of processes;
Interactive format. The case method provides a more effective assimilation of the
material through the high emotional involvement and active participation of the stu-
dents. Participants are immersed in the situation: the case has the main character, in
the place of which the team puts itself and solves the problem on its behalf. The
emphasis in training is not on mastering ready knowledge but on its development;
Specific skills. The case method allows you to improve "flexible skills" (soft skills),
which are extremely necessary for a real workflow.
The next type is satellite television technology. This is a technology that implements
television training, as well as replenishing and updating information in local networks
via satellite communication channels. It is very expensive, and therefore not in great
demand. It also has poor interactivity, which means it has feeble feedback. To this date,
in Russia, only the Non-governmental Educational Institution Modern University for
the Humanities has this technology developed back in 1997 as an experiment for testing
and analyzing various aspects of distance learning, as well as for preparing regulatory
documents by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
The third type is network technology. This is a technology based on the use of the
Internet to provide students with teaching materials and their education.
Network technologies most suited for use in distance learning include:
Webinars;
Multimedia lectures and laboratory-based practical’s;
Electronic multimedia textbooks;
Computer training and testing systems;
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Simulation models and computer simulators [2];
Consultations and tests using telecommunications;
Video conferencing meetings.
2 Remote Information Technology Features
Consider the comparative characteristics of information technology for distance learn-
ing. Comparative characteristics of information technologies involved in the organiza-
tion of distance learning are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Comparative characteristics of information technology [3]
Actual
Types Tools Specifications
technologies
CASE tech- Audiovisual Low communication
nology media (printed, interactivity. Cloud storage,
audio-video The cost of produc- email services
materials), tion linearly depends (Google, Mail,
Email on the number of stu- Yandex), online li-
dents. brary systems
Well-known methods (Urait)
of developing educa-
tional materials.
High longevity
Medium interactivity.
Low cost
Networking Real-time video The high degree of in- Distance educa-
technology conferencing by teractivity. tion portals (Moo-
the Internet Using widespread dle, ATutor,
computer platforms. Teachbase),
Low cost. Google Classroom
platform, video
conferencing ser-
vices (Skype, Dis-
cord)
Televi- Video confer- The high degree of in-
sional-satel- encing over a teractivity, good im-
lite technol- digital dedi- age transmission
ogy cated satellite quality.
channel using High price.
video compres- The highest possible Satellite LMI-1,
sion. image transmission since 2006 re-
Videoconfer- quality with the mini- named to ABS-1
encing via an mum technological
analog satellite delay in image and
channel sound transmission.
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For proper assimilation of all the material in the process of distance learning, all the
above-mentioned types of distance learning technologies are used in different propor-
tions. Theoretical material can be recorded in advance and presented in the form of
video lectures. At the same time, to get feedback from students, it makes sense to give
online lectures to answer questions or explain the material in more detail.
3 Description of Services for Organizing Online Training
Such services as Skype, Zoom, and Discord are suitable for delivering online lectures
in terms of functionality and capabilities. To create a complete and systematic course
using videos, tests, tasks, etc. it is convenient to use, for example, such a platform as
Google Classroom, which is organized specifically for studying. The platform allows
its users:
To create one's class/course;
To arrange for students to enroll in the course;
To share the necessary educational material with students;
To offer tasks for students;
To evaluate students' assignments and monitor their progress;
To organize communication between students.
It turned out that the app, initially aimed at gamers, is very well suited for conducting
online lectures. Discord is a free messenger with support for two-way voice messaging
and video conferences.
The app can organize voice conferences where it is possible to customize the com-
munication channel and operate on the principle of push-to-talk, create public and pri-
vate chats for exchanging text messages.
The advantages of the app include a simple interface, good opportunities for assign-
ing rights, high-quality communication, and the ability to create separate chats for peo-
ple so that they do not overlap with each other, the ability to share the screen. Text chat
supports attaching files, images, and inserting links.
There are also services originally designed for video conferences, which are growing
in popularity every year. For example, ZOOM.US is a cloud platform for conducting
online video conferences and webinars in high-definition. However, a security hole was
discovered on the platform that allows a remote unauthorized attacker to remove users
from conferences, send fake messages on behalf of users, or intercept shared screens.
Nevertheless, many platforms have proven themselves in online learning and were
never accused of insecurity of usage, for example, the distance learning system of Rus-
sian development Teachbase.
Teachbase is a system with remote access, which means that you do not need to
install it on your computer or mobile device, maintain it, and configure it. For all its
simplicity, Teachbase has a wide range of functions. Available opportunities include:
Personal account for each user. When you log in to your account, you can immedi-
ately see the materials assigned for learning;
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Testing after learning the material with settings for verification parameters;
Statistical reports for the course organizer to analyze and improve the course;
User base which can be filtered;
Editing tools – course materials can be handled right in the system. The author can
have free space on the server for remote storage of materials;
Communication between users with the help of webinars and other tools.
Another network technology for distance learning, which is the basis for distance
learning in most higher education institutions and refresher courses, is the MOODLE
technology [4], which allows educational institutions to create online resources for
studying, testing, and taking exams. The essence of this technology is the creation of
an interactive website of an educational institution, were both students of this educa-
tional institution and their teachers have to register. The content of this website, which
is essentially a learning platform where the entire process of distance learning takes
place, consists of the following components. First, it is direct communication between
students and teachers through the exchange of electronic messages and video confer-
ences. The teacher also uses this resource for placing educational materials for inde-
pendent study with their subsequent check-up. The student is allowed to perform the
next task only after completing the previous one, which ensures the continuity and con-
sistency of the educational process.
Each task is evaluated both by the teacher, whose assessment may be subjective and
by the final testing using the test system. This system allows you to objectively evaluate
the student's knowledge and gaps and, if necessary, point them out to the students, and
help them learn the new material. Since the final grade for the subject is based on the
sum of points received for, completing each of the tasks, as well as the teacher's overall
assessment of the tasks, this distance learning system has proven itself well.
If the problem with lecture materials is solved without any problems thanks to net-
work technologies, the issue with practical and laboratory work has yet to be fully re-
solved. It does not suit all the specialties and not all the disciplines as well as their
practical exercises can be implemented to run remotely. Nevertheless, some of it can
be carried out using the same Internet technologies. On many platforms, for example,
in Google Classroom, you can create online tests, both for evaluating the comprehen-
sion of lecture materials and for testing one's knowledge. In the cloud service, all about
the same Google, students can get acquainted with Google documents and Google ta-
bles (network analogs of Word and Excel) and learn how to use their main functions,
under the supervision of a tutor. The teacher can leave comments on a specific place of
the document and highlight errors as well as students who can mark places causing
difficulties. Apart from installing the development environment, one can use online
compilers, such as onlinegdb.com, that supports most programming languages, while
to solve problems and communicate with the teacher, there is a web app called Pastebin,
which allows you to download text fragments, fragments of source code so that it can
be viewed by others. Of course, not all software is publicly available to students, and
not everyone has the technical ability to use it. This problem can be solved by setting
up a remote connection to computers with installed software, strictly on a schedule and
in compliance with the policy of differentiation. Another tool is Cisco Packet Tracer, a
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multi-functional network simulation program that allows students to experiment with
network behavior and evaluate possible scenarios. One can study geographic infor-
mation systems using QGIS and Argo.
Conclusion
Based on all the above, the positive aspects of distance education include:
The use of distance learning technologies allows the teacher to conduct simultaneous
education of a much larger number of students than in full-time training;
Students who study remotely can decide for themselves how much time during the
semester to devote to the study of the material, i.e. to build an individual learning
schedule for themselves, which can increase academic performance if the student
also has a job;
The relative cheapness of obtaining knowledge is another plus of distance education.
Getting a diploma from a University where you studied remotely will cost about
three times less on average than full-time study. Still, quite a few universities offer
distance learning in its pure form.
Distance learning suits busy students very well. However, in addition to the positive
aspects, there are also negative ones. The disadvantages of distance education include:
The need for strong motivation. Distance learning students on their own master al-
most all educational materials. This requires great willpower, responsibility, and
self-control. Not everyone can maintain the required pace of learning without some
kind of external control;
Distance education does not help to develop communication skills. In distance learn-
ing, students' personal contact between each other and teachers is minimal, if not
completely absent. Therefore, this form of training is not suitable for the develop-
ment of communication skills, confidence, and teamwork;
Lack of practical knowledge. Distance learning in specialties that involve a large
number of practical classes is difficult. Even the most modern simulators will not
replace the first-hand experience for future doctors or teachers.
The problem of user identification. So far, the most effective way to check whether
a student passed exams or tests honestly and independently is video surveillance,
which is not always possible. Therefore, students have to come to personally the
University or its branches for the final certification.
Looking at the disadvantages, it is easy to conclude that distance learning is not suitable
for everyone: if a person is better at listening to information, then such training may
seem boring and difficult. If someone cannot exchange live communication with a
teacher and other students for e-mail correspondence, Internet education is unlikely to
suit them.
In conclusion, we can conclude that the advantages and disadvantages of information
technology in distance education are approximately equal in number, so the develop-
ment of technologies for better use in education is yet to come.
545
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